Page 3563 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 24 November 2021
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Transport Canberra are doing a lot of work on network upgrades, and they are using their data really well. I would love to see further development to create more public transport priority measures to ensure buses, some of which can have more than 100 passengers each, are given a higher priority on our congested roads than single-occupant vehicles.
We need to make active and public transport easy and desirable. We need to make sure that it is better than driving if we are going to get serious about tackling congestion and climate change. I am delighted to see more funding for active travel. Walking, riding, scooting and skating are great ways to get around our city outside of a car. They are fun and they deal with congestion and climate change at the same time.
I am eager to see the results of the government’s path audit, which will be completed later this year. I suspect the results will highlight the huge challenge we face to bring our path network up to the same condition that we expect from our roads. It is important to make sure those paths are safe and pleasant to use. The network is as important to those who use it as the roads are to those who drive. I ride to the Assembly most days—I rode today—and I have been riding around Canberra for two decades, so I really understand the need to complete that walking and cycling network and to make sure that it is maintained in good repair.
The ACT Greens want to ensure that at least $20 million per year, or 20 per cent of our roads budget, is spent on dedicated active travel infrastructure. That is in line with the targets we have set of how many people we want using that active travel. Our footpaths, shared paths and bike paths should be built to the highest standards in the first instance. We need physical or grade separation from motor vehicles and we need priority wherever they share a space with vehicles.
During COVID our community have been exploring their local neighbourhoods and suburbs more than before, and they have realised the importance of being able to walk to their shops, their park or their oval. Ensuring that the paths, verges, trees, parks and shops are in good condition is essential to allow people to think local first and not jump straight in the car.
We would like to see some more spending on some of the ambitious cycle projects. I am glad to see a number of active travel commitments funded as part of this budget, but we can do more, I think. The cycling community really appreciate projects like the Belconnen bikeway; it is significant, it is dedicated active travel and it has met a need. We need to keep doing major projects like that to make sure we do not leave our big cycling corridor connectors as once-in-a-decade efforts.
In our parliamentary and governing agreement, the ACT Greens called for the construction of large-scale cycling corridors in key areas of demand and we have not yet seen that program fully roll out. I will continue to work with my colleague Minister Steel to make sure we get more done for the bike riders and pedestrians, scooters and skaters of our city.
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